1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to inverters of the type suitable for inverting DC energy into single-phase AC energy, such as but not limited to the type suitable for inverting DC energy provided by a vehicle battery into single-phase AC energy suitable for powering a consumer electronic device.
2. Background Art
A vehicle electrical system typically relies upon an energy source to supply energy for powering a plurality of vehicle subsystems during normal vehicle operations. The amount of energy available from the energy source can vary during vehicle operation depending on the number of subsystems requesting energy and the ability of the energy source to maintain its energy output. Some vehicles employ an electronic control unit (ECU) to manage energy levels so that more critical subsystems are supplied energy before less critical subsystems, to insure limp-home capabilities, and to otherwise manage/regulate energy consumption.
The consumption of energy by the vehicle subsystems can be monitored by the ECU and tracked over time such that the ECU has an understanding of the amounts of energy required by the vehicle subsystems in order to operate under various operating conditions. The ECU can use this information and/or other strategies to selectively authorize one or more of the vehicle subsystem to consume energy (or otherwise regulate energy consumption) from the energy source. This may include the ECU exchanging messages and other data through a vehicle bus or other vehicle-based medium with the vehicle subsystems, or an associated controller, in order to selectively enable or disable (or limit) the vehicle subsystems.